The Miracle of Christmas, part 3

The Miracle of Christmas, part 3
Wednesday, December 16, 2020 by Dr. James W. Walraven

Categories: Encouraging words / Hope in Christ / Scripture discussion

God glorifies Jesus, and in Revelation 5, Jesus is both worshiped and glorified.

At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the one person in all of history who was both fully human and fully God. In the past two entries in this Christmas series, we’ve looked at how numerous passages of Scripture declare that Jesus is both fully God and fully man. While some have wrongly insisted that the “Christ spirit” that appeared was not human, more have insisted that Jesus was merely human, as Arius did, and the Jehovah’s Witnesses do to this day. As we’ve also mentioned, according to Islam, to insist that Jesus is God is to commit blasphemy.

There is yet another proof that Jesus is God. God the Father glorifies Jesus. In 1 Samuel 15:29, God is called the “Glory of Israel.” There are numerous references to God’s glory and/or ascribing glory to God throughout the Old Testament. In Isaiah 42:8 and 48:11 God is very direct that He will not share his glory with another. The first of the Ten Commandments, of having no other gods before God points strongly in this direction. God alone is to be glorified.

Yet the Father glorifies Jesus. John 8:54, “Jesus answered, "If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing; it is My Father who glorifies Me, of whom you say, 'He is our God.’” In John 17, Jesus prays that the Father would glorify him. Verse 5 is key, that both Jesus and the Father would be glorified together. Acts 3:13 discloses that God has glorified Jesus.

Even the Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus. Regarding the coming of the Spirit, Jesus says, “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you” (John 16:14–15).

We are to worship God alone. We’ve already mentioned the first commandment, that we are to have no other gods before God. God alone is worthy of worship (see Exodus 34:14; Deuteronomy 5:9, 6:13; Psalm 81:9). To worship literally means to bow the knee, and in a real way to submit to whatever it is we are bowing to. Again, only God is worthy of worship. But, what do we see in Revelation 5:12–14? The Lamb (Jesus) is being glorified and worshiped in God the Father’s presence no less.

Jesus being worshiped and glorified in the Father’s presence. That should tell us something. If, as the Scriptures declare, God alone is worthy of glory and worship, and yet here, Jesus is receiving worship and glory, there is only one possible conclusion: Jesus is God.

In spite of what many insist, and other religions claim, Jesus, without question, is God.

Share This Blog: